The first at-sea assessment of working conditions and crew welfare onboard a longline vessel supplying Thai Union has already led to improvements being made, with more expected to follow, according to the Bangkok-based seafood giant.
In May this year, Thai Union commissioned the first consultant to spend a period of weeks working onboard a Malaysian-flagged carrier vessel operating in the Indian Ocean to assess the working conditions and welfare of the crew working on longline vessels. This was in addition to in-port audits that the company has been conducting with that fleet since 2018.
The project is a part of the Indian Ocean Longline Fishery Improvement Project (FIP).
Thai Union explained that the aim of the assessment was to explore if this type of assessment can complement existing satellite and electronic monitoring as well as in port inspections and add value to assessing conformance with its Fisher Work and Welfare programme (FWW).
FWW applies globally to the fishing vessels that supply Thai Union with fish and other seafood.
The consultant selected to complete the trip was at sea for 34 days and assessed 19 longline vessels.
He commented: “It was a priceless experience to board the longline vessels within a programme which was implemented to improve the health, safety and living conditions of the fishers. In my 13 years of field experience, this was the first time that I saw that fishers felt cared for and not alone and have a voice. The at-sea assessment programme for labour conditions could be an effective way to provide this worldwide. It is a highly valuable bridge between the fishers and their human rights that could be implemented more regularly.”
Thai Union stated that these types of inspections at sea are not without their risks and that it did not take the decision to conduct this project lightly.
It acknowledged, “Fishery observers working at sea can be subject to harassment, intimidation, or, in worst cases, death. According to the Association of Professional Observers (APO), there were one or two deaths per year between 2015 and 2020. It was therefore critical that Thai Union worked closely with a highly capable partner who could advise the company and ensure the safety of the consultant.”
Assessment partner MRAG is experienced in sending observers and assessors onboard fishing and carrier vessels, while the consultant selected to complete the trip had previously worked on the same carrier vessel, while the vessels were already audited in-port and were part of a vessel improvement programme.
Upon completion of this project, Thai Union believes it will be able to build on the experience gained and include it in its FWW programme.
It said that it wants to help create protocols around what should be covered in an at-sea assessment versus an in-port audit, and added that it is planning to conduct further at-sea assessments in other fisheries involved in improvement projects.
